Have you ever wanted to build your very own robot from scratch? Bristlebots are a cheap, easy, and fun-to-build robot made from the head of a toothbrush, a battery, and a small motor. Once completed, they buzz along the top of a table like bugs. How can you make a bristlebot go faster? In this project, you will build bristlebots from two different types of toothbrushes, and race them against each other to find out.
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Robotics_p010

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Time Required

Average (6-10 days)

Prerequisites

None

Material Availability

Motors and batteries to do this project are available in a kit from Science Buddies. The kit can also be used to do several other robotics projects. See the Materials and Equipment list for details. Estimated project time includes time to ship the kit.

Do you like drawing or painting? What if you could build a robot friend that creates its own art? In this project you will create your own Art Bot, a robot with markers for "legs" that wobbles across a piece of paper, creating drawings as it moves. You can then customize your robot to change how it draws. This is a beginner-level project with no robotics experience necessary, so if you have wanted to try building your own robot, this is a great place to start!
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Robotics_p014

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Time Required

Average (6-10 days)

Prerequisites

None

Material Availability

This project requires specialty robotics parts. A Science Buddies kit is available (project time includes shipping for the kit). See the Materials and Equipment list for details.

Have you ever heard of the NASA Mars rovers Spirit, Opportunity, and Curiosity? How about the "bomb squad" robots that police and the military use? These are places that are hard for us to reach (Mars), or dangerous for us to be near (explosives). Because the human operators are usually far away from the robot, driving one is different from driving a car. Operators rely on information sent back from the robot, including pictures and video. In this project, you will build your own simple…
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Robotics_p015

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Time Required

Average (6-10 days)

Prerequisites

None

Material Availability

This project requires a radio-controlled toy car and a wireless video camera. See the Materials and Equipment list for details.

Have you ever seen a robot dance? In this project you will build your own simple flipping, tumbling robot that can dance around on the floor or a tabletop! If you have never made a robot before and would like to get started with a fun, easy project, this is a great place to begin. You will follow directions to make a basic robot, and then make your own additions to make it even better!
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Robotics_p027

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Time Required

Average (6-10 days)

Prerequisites

None

Material Availability

This project requires robotics parts from an electronics vendor. See the Materials and Equipment list for details. Estimated project time includes shipping for the parts.

Cost

Low ($20 - $50)

Safety

Adult supervision is required when using a hot glue gun or super glue.

The world's oceans are home to the most strange and amazing creatures. What do scientists know about these deep-sea animals and how can they study them easily? One way to learn about these animals in their homes is to use underwater robots. Underwater robots can record data that would be difficult for humans to gather. But what are robots and how are they made? In this robotics engineering project, you will discover what makes up a simple robot and build and test your own underwater robot.
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Robotics_p002

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Time Required

Average (6-10 days)

Prerequisites

None

Material Availability

To build an underwater robot you will need a motor and a model boat propeller. See the Materials and Equipment list for details.

Cost

Low ($20 - $50)

Safety

You will need glue and epoxy to waterproof the motor for the robot. Follow the instructions that come with the glue and epoxy and always work in a well-ventilated area. If you have a latex allergy, you will have to exercise great caution with the balloon and ask a volunteer to help you. Keep fingers away from the spinning propeller to prevent injury. Do not test the robot in saltwater.

"How do you frighten a grasshopper? And what does that have to do with light?" These are a couple of questions you're probably asking yourself after reading the title. Well, The Frightened Grasshopper Solar-Powered Bug is actually a toy grasshopper that vibrates when it is placed in sunlight or near a lightbulb. It stores up the energy from light, and converts it into motion. You will use this fun toy to explore how the brightness of the light affects the motion of the solar-powered insect.
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Elec_p061

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Time Required

Very Short (≤ 1 day)

Prerequisites

None

Material Availability

The Frightened Grasshopper toy needs to be ordered from online. See the Materials and Equipment list for details.

Cost

Low ($20 - $50)

Safety

Adult supervision is required. The lightbulbs will be hot, so use caution to avoid getting burned by the bulbs. The Frightened Grasshopper toy should be assembled with the help of an adult since it is fragile and has some small parts.

You can find this page online at: http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/search.shtml?v=ia&ia=Robotics&d=1,2,3

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